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DMF · 06-30-2005, 10:05 AM

Nice project! I did the same thing last year at our house although the bank wasn't as steep. In my case I had originally pitched the grade so it came up from a swale at the bottom of the hill back to the house. Water in the basement wasn't an issue, but I couldn't get anything to grow/hold in that swale. In the spring it became a brook and eroded it into a trench.
Last year I rented a mini-excavator, trenched along my swale, tied the two downspouts at that end of the house and my water softner line in as well. I brought it a good 150'+ and dug a big drywell. I used landscape fabric in the trench (I thought it would help the stone stay free of silt) and I used 3/4 stone up to 3" - 4" to the original grade. Seeded it all and (knock on wood) it's been working great ever since!

06-30-2005, 10:05 AM	#11 (permalink)
DMF Gold Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Mass Posts: 424	Re: French Drain Project. Nice project! I did the same thing last year at our house although the bank wasn't as steep. In my case I had originally pitched the grade so it came up from a swale at the bottom of the hill back to the house. Water in the basement wasn't an issue, but I couldn't get anything to grow/hold in that swale. In the spring it became a brook and eroded it into a trench. Last year I rented a mini-excavator, trenched along my swale, tied the two downspouts at that end of the house and my water softner line in as well. I brought it a good 150'+ and dug a big drywell. I used landscape fabric in the trench (I thought it would help the stone stay free of silt) and I used 3/4 stone up to 3" - 4" to the original grade. Seeded it all and (knock on wood) it's been working great ever since!